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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. can — to be able to
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. can — a tin
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ball — a dance
  13. tube — a container
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. can — a tin
  16. tube — the underground
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bass — the fish
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. band — a ring
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. band — a music group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com